Controlling apparatus for electric cars.



Patented marjzo, B00.

3 Sheets Sheet l H m /w/ M .m m N A. SUNDH.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

(Application filed Aug. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES THE ngRms PErERs co. mow-mum, wnsuinarou. a. c

No. 645,765. Patented Mar. 20, I900.

.A. SUNDH. I

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

(Application filed Aug. 26, 1899.

(No Mode\.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES .INVENTOR ATTOR N EY No. 645,765.Patented Ma r. 20, I900. A. SUNDH.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC CARS.

- (Application filed Aug. 26, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A 7'TORNE r THE NORRIS Prrzns 0b.,PHDTO-LITHD., WASHINGTON. o. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 7

AUGUST SUNDH, OF YONKERS, NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC CARS SPECIFICATION forming part ofLetters Patent No. 645,765, dated March 20,1900. Application filedAugust 26,1899. Serial No. 728,546. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUST SUNDH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Yonkers, county of Westchester, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oontrollin gApparatus for Electric Cars, of which the following is a specification.V y The object of my invention is to provide improved means whereby thecontrolling apparatus of all the electrically-propelled cars of a trainmaybe operated synchronously from any one of the cars of a train, thecontrolling apparatus of each car being at the same time alike operativefor controlling the car individually when used independently of othercars.

in the distribution of the work between the motors of the several carsof the train than is possible with a motorman in charge of themotor-controller of each car and to economize labor by enabling thecontrol of the whole train to be accomplished by one man, as hereinafterdescribed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a train of two cars provided with myimproved controlling apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the controllingapparatus with the cars and the motors indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3is a diagram of the wire system of a car, motor-controller, contacts,and switch, and diagram of the switch and connecting-wires for governingthe solenoid employed for actuating the motor-controller. Fig. 4represents a sectional elevation of the motor-controller and thesolenoid for operating the controller. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionthrough part of the motor-controller,showing the magnet for operatingthe reversing-switch of the controller. Fig. 6 is a top view of thesolenoidmotor controller and the solenoid-controlling switch.

00 represents the cars; 6, the motors for propelling the cars; 0, themotor-controllers; cl, solenoid-coils for operating themotor-controllers, and e the controlling-switch. The

motor-controllers are located on the platforms in the usual position andhave a pinion f on the projecting shaft 9 of the controller drum orcylinder 12, said shaft extending through the platform and gearing witha reciprocat= The purpose is to insure greater uniformity ing toothedrack h, attached to the core 70 of the solenoid cl, located under thecar, so that the controller-drum will be turned forward and backward bythe solenoid according as the core is reciprocated by the influence ofthe magnetism as applied by the diiferent coils, a series of independentcoils being used and adapted to shiftthe core step by stepintermittingly both forward and backward, and thus shift thecontroller-contacts as required for varying the speed.

The magnet Z, Fig. 3, and shown in application to the motor-controllerin Fig. 5, controls the reversing-switch 16 in the motorcontrolleraccording as the wires m or n are put in connection with the supply-wire0 by the switch 19, located in the controlling-switch case e, when it isset over to one or the other of the contacts 5 ort by hand through thein strumentality of the hand-lever u.

t represents the shifting contact of the governing-switch. It is inelectrical connection with the supply-Wire o by the branch w and has thehandle 2 above the top of the inclosing box for manipulating it.

1, 2, 3, 4;, 5, and 6 are the stationary contacts of thecontrolling-switch, respectively connected with the independent coils 1,2,

3, 4, 5 and 6 of the motor-actuating solenoid d by the wires 1", 2 3", 45, and 6". A blow-out magnet is provided for each stationary contact inthe circuits to disrupt the arcs formed when the circuits are broken,and they are gaged in effective capacity to the maximum strengths of thecurrents required for the maximum number of cars in a train.

The contacts of the motor=contro1ler comprise five steps. (Shown in thediagram Fig. 3, and arranged, as indicated by the radial lines 3 on thetop of the controller inFig. 6.) The combinations of said steps fordistributing current are as follows: first, motors in se-' ries, allresistance in; second, motors in series, one-half resistance in; third,motors in series, no resistance in; fourth, motors in parallel,resistance in; fifth, motors in parallel, no resistance in.

When the solenoid-core 7c is in the position represented in Figs. 4 and6, the motor-controller is in the neutral position. Shifting contact 1)onto the several stationary contacts 2 to 6, inclusive, of thecontroller at either way will shift the solenoid-core 7c accordingly,and it will similarly actuate the motor-controller for distributing themain driving-current as required.

The solenoid may be arranged vertically, and in such case the weight ofthe solenoidcore and the rack might generally be depended on to effectthe reverse movements; but I consider it would be important to use thecoils for pulling it down for safety against any accidental or otherunusual resistance of the parts that the weight might not overcome.

It will be seen that with the above-described apparatus, including acontrolling-switch on each end of the car, same as is the case with thecommon arrangement of motor-controllers, the individual car may becontrolled the same as with the said common arrangement ofmotor-controllers, and with the wire systems of a plurality of cars'in atrain coupled together, as indicated at 8, the motor-controllers of allthe cars are at once put under the control of any one of thecontrollingswitches anywhere along the train for uniform action of themotors and equal distribution of the work, whereby damage liable tooccur when a motor is overloaded, as would be frequently the casewithout uniformity of action, is avoided, and the train responds moreevenly and quickly when the current is turned on, and it works moresmoothly and economically.

The wires are inclosed in protective tubes 9, with suitable flexibleconnections 10 between the cars and branch tubes 11 between thegovernors e and solenoids d and main tubes 9. In atrain of cars only onecontrolling-switch, or preferably one at each end of the train, so thatthe motorman may occupy the forward end whichever way the train may berun, will serve for the control of the entire train; but there isadvantage in all the cars in a train being provided with the switchesnecessary to the individual car, so that in case the motorman at thehead of the train should fail to act another anywhere along the traincould take control.

The shaft 9 of the controller-drum 12 is fitted to the drum within asleeve 13, which is secured to the shaft by a key 14 when the drum is tobe actuated by the solenoid, the drum being fitted to the sleeve so asto be rotated by it; but the key 14 is fitted detachably, so that whenthe car is to be used independently of other cars and it is not requiredto operate the drum by the solenoid the solenoid maybe disconnected byremoving the key, and the drum may be operated by the handle 15, same asin the usual way, said handle be ing positively fitted to the sleeve,and the re versing-switches 16 are provided with a handle 17 forshifting them also in such case.

Other ways of gearing the solenoid for dis connection may obviously beemployed, and I do not limit myself to the particular way shown. 1

The solenoid-core is provided with a coiled spring 18, the purpose ofwhich is to return the controllers to the off position at any time whenthe circuit may be accidentally broken, and thus prevent damage thatmight occur if When the circuit should be closed again the controllershould happen to stand sothat full force would be applied. By arrangingthe solenoid in an upright position the weight of the solenoid-core maybe utilized for this purpose.

A solenoid-actuator for the barrel-switch is more advantageous than amotor, because it stops and holds the switch-barrel positively withoutvariation while the motor is liable to overrun or stop short unlessprovided with special means for controlling it, as the stop devices ofthe patent to Potter, No. 617,601.

I am aware that a solenoid-controller for the switch of a rheostat usedto vary the current in a motor for working an elevator has been used;but the rheostat-controller is not a practical substitute for thebarrel-switch in an electric-car-train system.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In an electric car, the combinationwith an electric motor and its barrel-switch controller, of asolenoid-motor mechanically geared with the barrel-switch for actuatingit step by step in both forward and backward movements, and agoverning-switch for the solenoid.

2. In an electric car, the combination with an electric motor and itsbarrel-switch controller, of a solenoid-motor mechanically geared withthe barrel-switch for actuating it step by step in both forward andbackward movements, a governing-switch for the solenoid, a magnet foractuating the controller-reversing switch, and a switch for controllingsaid mag net, said switch located in proximity to the governing-switchfor the solenoid.

3. In an electric car, the combination with an electric motor and itsbarrel-switch control ler, of a solenoid for actuating the barrelswitch,the core of said solenoid geared with the motor controller shaft by arack and pinion and adapted for operating the barrelswitch both forwardand backward, a governing-switch for the solenoid, a magnet foractuating the reversing-switch of the motor controller, and a switch inproximity to the solenoid-governing switch for controlling thereversing-switch magnet.

4. In an electric-motor-controlling system for electric cars, thecombination with the motor and its barrel-switch controller, of asolenoid motor for actuating the controller, said motor having aplurality of coils and being mechanically geared with the controller,and a governing-switch for the solenoid-mo tor having a plurality ofcontacts adapted for intermittently operating the solenoid-motor step bystep in either direction.

5. The combination of a plurality of cars in a train, a plurality ofelectric motors and barrel switch controllers for said motors, a

plurality of solenoid-motors having a plurality of coils andmechanically geared with the barrel-switches for operating them, and aplurality of governing-switches havinga plural ity of contacts adaptedfor intermittently operating the solenoid-motors step by step in eitherdirection, the wire systems of the several cars being coupled from carto car.

6. In an electric car, the combination With the motor and itscontroller, of a governingswitch, and mechanism controlled by thegoverning-switch and geared with the controller for actuating it, saidmechanism detachably geared with the barrel-switch of the controller, torelease the barrel for operating it by hand.

7. In an electric car, the combination with the motor and itscontroller, of the solenoidmotor and the governing-switch for operatingthe controller, said solenoid-motor geared with the controller-shaft,and said shaft detachably geared with the barrel, to release the barrelfor operating it by hand.

8. In an electric car, the combination with the motor and itsbarrel-switch controller, of the solenoid-motor and governing-switch foroperating the controller, said motor mechanically geared with thecontroller-shaft, and means for efiecting retraction of the solenoidcoreto the off position wherein the current is interrupted.

9. In an electric car, the combination with the motor and itsbarrel-switch controller, of the solenoid-motor and governing-switch foroperating the controller, said motor mechanically geared with thecontroller-shaft, and a spring for effecting retraction of thesolenoidcore to the off position when the current is interrupted.

Signed by me at New York, N. Y., this 23d day of August, 1899.

AUGUST SUNDI'I.

